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Fri, 23 Jan 2015 14:34:10 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Connecticut personal injury lawyer explains one of the biggest mistakes you can make after your accident!http://www.hcwlaw.com/connecticut-personal-injury-lawyer-explains-one-of-the-biggest-mistakes-you-can-make-after-your-accident/
http://www.hcwlaw.com/connecticut-personal-injury-lawyer-explains-one-of-the-biggest-mistakes-you-can-make-after-your-accident/#respondSun, 12 Oct 2014 12:49:31 +0000http://www.hcwlaw.com/?p=11601Our office recently received a telephone call from a woman who had been involved in a motor vehicle accident in Connecticut and was looking to have our CT personal injury lawyers represent her. She advised me that she was a passenger in a vehicle that hit another car head on. She advised me that she sustained […]

Our office recently received a telephone call from a woman who had been involved in a motor vehicle accident in Connecticut and was looking to have our CT personal injury lawyers represent her. She advised me that she was a passenger in a vehicle that hit another car head on. She advised me that she sustained a number of injuries not the least of which was a concussion that continue to affect her memory and cause her frequent headaches. She was also experiencing panic attacks and was having a great deal of difficulty in driving as a passenger in a car. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital where she was diagnosed with a number of accident related problems. By all accounts, this would seem like a case that might interest most CT accident lawyers.

I asked her when the accident occurred and she advised me that it happened 14 months ago. I asked her why she waited until this point in time to contact a Connecticut personal injury lawyer and she told me that she was dealing with the insurance adjuster directly and at the adjuster advised her that the two of them would be able to work out resolving the case without her having to hire a lawyer. She told me that the adjuster was very nice and would check in with her from time to time to see how she was doing. The last time the insurance adjuster called her, which was shortly before she contacted our Connecticut personal injury lawyers, the adjuster told her that she should be completing her treatment and that he was in a position to make her an offer for the pain and suffering which she endured. She, quite naturally, was excited to learn that she would be able to settle this case without having to hire a lawyer. Despite all of the problems that she experienced and the pain and suffering that she endured the insurance adjuster told her that her case was only worth $1000. She was outraged and then contacted our Connecticut personal injury lawyers.

There are several concerns that a Connecticut accident lawyer might have about this case. The first thing is that this individual had only seen her family doctor on three or four occasions during the past 14 months. She had never been to see an orthopedic doctor despite the fact that she was having problems with her neck, shoulders, spine and back. She had never received any physical therapy. She had never been to a neurologist to receive any type of treatment related to her concussion, her headaches, and her memory problems. She had never gotten any type of counseling for her panic attacks and the challenges that she was experiencing while riding in a car. The medical treatment that she received was very, very limited and very, very sporadic. In other words, she had not done herself a service in getting the proper care and treatment for her injuries and all the while the insurance adjuster of the person that caused this accident was assuring her that she could settle this case without having to consult with a lawyer.

I advise people who have been involved in an accident that not every person that is injured in a Connecticut accident case needs to hire a lawyer, but every person who was been involved in a Connecticut motor vehicle accident case needs to consult with a lawyer. The decision to hire or not hire a personal injury lawyer is entirely up to the client. It would be foolhardy for the injured party to attempt to represent him self or herself with out getting the proper advice as to what you should be doing and what you should not be doing.

Our Connecticut personal injury lawyers provide plenty of free information to injured parties and their families regarding what they should be doing, what they should not be doing, how they can develop their lost wage claim, what they can be doing to get better quickly, and how they can get more money for their personal injury case. You can visit our website at www.HCWLAW.com and download a copy of our free Conn accident law book. You can call our toll-free number at 888-842-8466 and either speak with one of our Connecticut personal injury lawyers and get your questions answered over the telephone or schedule a free consultation where we are happy to meet with you and specifically advise you as to what you should be doing. Do not make the mistake that this lady made in attempting to deal directly with the insurance adjuster. Get this valuable free information from our experience Connecticut injury lawyers in accident attorneys before you make a very crucial mistake that could completely undermine your case.

]]>http://www.hcwlaw.com/connecticut-personal-injury-lawyer-explains-one-of-the-biggest-mistakes-you-can-make-after-your-accident/feed/0Connecticut dog bite injury lawyer explains the types of injurieshttp://www.hcwlaw.com/connecticut-dog-bite-injury-lawyer-explains-types-injuries/
http://www.hcwlaw.com/connecticut-dog-bite-injury-lawyer-explains-types-injuries/#respondSun, 05 Oct 2014 12:47:23 +0000http://www.hcwlaw.com/?p=11597Our Connecticut dog bite attorneys have decades of experience in representing dog bite victims and their family members. The injuries sustained by the people that contact us are quite varied and range from puncture wounds, to ripping or tearing wounds, to facial lacerations, to a variety of musculature and bone injuries, to psychological injuries and […]

Our Connecticut dog bite attorneys have decades of experience in representing dog bite victims and their family members. The injuries sustained by the people that contact us are quite varied and range from puncture wounds, to ripping or tearing wounds, to facial lacerations, to a variety of musculature and bone injuries, to psychological injuries and even an amputation. There is also the very real risk of getting some type of serious infection as a result of the bacteria present in a dog’s mouth after the dogs teeth or claws penetrate a person’s skin. It is very important that you get immediate medical care if your skin has been broken at all by a dog attack.

There are basically four different types of dog bite that are used for purposes of classifying dog bite statistics and data. those classifications are as follows:

Unreported dog bites-it is impossible to quantify with any degree of certainty the number of dog bites that occur each year that are not reported by the victim. The main reasons for a dog bite victim not reporting their injury is because the injury is not deemed to be serious enough toward medical attention or the dog attack occurs by a dog that is owned by a family member or friend;

Minor dog bites-the majority of dog bites can be classified as minor which generally means there is no permanent effect upon the victim. This would mean that there are no broken bones, no major complications from an infection, no permanent, ugly and disfiguring scarring, and no permanent injuries to any of the affected body parts. These minor injuries generally involve a minor break in the skin from a dog’s tooth or nail or some type of bruising that requires a minimal amount of medical attention;

Serious and/or severe dog bites-these types of dog bite injuries generally result in a permanent injury which can range from lacerations to tissue loss to avulsion wounds to crush injuries to broken bones to ugly permanent and disfiguring scars to permanent loss of use or sensation to amputations. It has been estimated that approximately 10% of all dog bite injuries fall into this category; and

Fatal dog bite injuries-although rare, dog attacks that result in the death of the victim do occur. The size, age and shape of the attack victim can sometimes dictate how well a person can respond to a dog attack. Unfortunately, children and the elderly are more prone to dying from a dog attack due to either their reduced strength or smaller size. A fatal dog bite attack usually forms the basis for a wrongful death claim.

Despite whatever type of dog bite injury you sustained if you’ve been attacked by a dog in Connecticut, you should contact an experienced Connecticut dog bite injury lawyer at the earliest possible moment to have your rights explained to you so you can determine how you should be proceeding. Our experienced Connecticut dog bite attack attorneys will be be to discuss the facts of your case with you in detail and give you suggestions on what you should be doing, what doctors you should be seeing, how you can develop your case, and how you can get better as quickly as possible.

You can contact their experience Connecticut dog bite injury lawyers by calling our toll-free number at 888 842 8466. Our Connecticut dog bite attack attorneys will be happy to speak with you directly and if your questions over the telephone or we can schedule a free in office consultation where we will review the facts of your case with you. You can even download a free copy of our Connecticut dog bite injury book by visiting our website at www.HCWLAW.com. So before you hire a lawyer, speak to the insurance adjuster, or sign any paperwork contact our Connecticut dog bite attack lawyers today.

]]>http://www.hcwlaw.com/connecticut-dog-bite-injury-lawyer-explains-types-injuries/feed/0CT accident attorneys discuss most frequently asked questions after an accidenthttp://www.hcwlaw.com/ct-accident-attorneys-discuss-frequently-asked-questions-accident/
http://www.hcwlaw.com/ct-accident-attorneys-discuss-frequently-asked-questions-accident/#respondTue, 13 May 2014 13:18:34 +0000http://www.hcwlaw.com/?p=11250Many times our CT accident attorneys and injury lawyers are contacted by people who have been injured through the fault of another and are looking to get answers to the great many questions which they have before them. The bulk of these people have never been injured in an accident and experience a number of […]

Many times our CT accident attorneys and injury lawyers are contacted by
people who have been injured through the fault of another and are looking to
get answers to the great many questions which they have before them. The
bulk of these people have never been injured in an accident and experience a
number of negative emotions that run the gamut from being angry to being
very anxious to being confused and very scared. Our CT accident attorneys
and injury lawyers have decades of experience in helping to guide accident
and injury victims through the jungle of uncertainty which faces individuals
and their families that are injured to the fault of another.

The questions which we are asked by Connecticut accident victims are varied
but generally deal with the same issues. If it is a motor vehicle accident,
the injured party will want to know who was going to repair their vehicle,
can they get a rental car, if their vehicle is a total loss what is the
value of their vehicle, when will they get their money, what if they have to
pay off the loan, can they keep their vehicle even if it is a total loss,
what upgrades are they entitled to that have been made to their vehicle, and
a number of other pressing questions that deal with the property damage
aspect of their case. Sometimes people will also have other items of value
which are destroyed in the accident which were either inside the body of the
vehicle or located inside of the trunk of the vehicle. Our CT accident
attorneys are able to assist you with the property damage aspect of your
case and we do not charge a fee for the service.

The more pressing questions usually deal with a person’s medical situation
and the injuries that they sustained in the subject accident. The questions
which we are asked about their medical situation generally involve issues
such as what type of doctor should I be seeing, what happens if I don’t have
insurance, will the insurance company of the at fault party pay my medical
bills as I treat with my doctors, should I see one type of a doctor over
another type of a doctor, should I return to the emergency room if I’m
experiencing pain, should I go to my family doctor for treatment, suppose I
have pre-existing injuries how will that affect my case, how long will it
take me to get better, when can I attempt to resolve my case so I can get
paid for all of my accident related expenses, and a host of other questions.

There are also a great number of questions that we are asked regarding a
person’s loss of income which could include, will I be paid my lost wages
each week that I’m out of work, who is to determine whether or not I can go
back to work, if I use sick time can I recoup those days, if I use vacation
time can I be compensated for this time, if I use personal time can I be
repaid for this loss of time that I had to use because I was unable to work
as a result of my accident, if I am self-employed and how is my loss of
income calculated, and a host of other questions regarding lost income.

Perhaps the most frequently asked questions involve the value of an injured
party’s case. CT accident victims often times want to know the answer to the
question; what is my case worth? We tell accident and injury victims that it
is not possible to accurately advise a client as to the value of their case
at or near the time of the accident. We explain that, generally speaking,
the value of an accident victims personal injury case cannot be calculated
until that person has reached what is called maximum medical improvement or
that condition whereby the person is as well as they are going to be. The
damages that a person can likely obtain for their Connecticut accident and
injury case, depending upon the circumstances, could include: past medical
bills; future medical bills; past surgical expenses; future surgical
expenses; past rehabilitative care; future rehabilitative care; past loss of
income; future loss of income; damages for pain; damages for suffering;
damages for loss of life’s activities; damages for permanent injuries;
damages for scars; psychological injuries; physical therapy; occupational
therapy; retraining for a new career or occupation; and other injuries and
damages depending upon a person’s situation.

If you have been seriously injured in some type of an accident in
Connecticut which was caused by the fault of another, then you should have a
number of very important questions that need immediate answers. Please call
our toll-free number at 888-842-8466 and speak with one of our CT accident
attorneys to get your questions answered over the telephone or schedule a
free consultation where we will be happy to meet with you, either in our
office or some other location which you designate, to specifically review
the facts of your case with you. You can also visit our website at
www.HCWLAW.com and download a free copy of our Connecticut accident law and
injury book. So before you hire a lawyer speak to an insurance adjuster or
sign any paperwork contact our experienced Connecticut accident lawyers and
injury attorneys to get your questions answered right away.

]]>http://www.hcwlaw.com/ct-accident-attorneys-discuss-frequently-asked-questions-accident/feed/0Why should I hire the Connecticut injury lawyers at Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP?http://www.hcwlaw.com/hire-connecticut-injury-lawyers-hastings-cohan-walsh-llp/
http://www.hcwlaw.com/hire-connecticut-injury-lawyers-hastings-cohan-walsh-llp/#respondWed, 30 Apr 2014 19:23:14 +0000http://www.hcwlaw.com/?p=11247Why should I hire the Connecticut injury lawyers at Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP? If you have been seriously injured in some type of Connecticut accident case that it is important that you research and higher a highly regarded Connecticut personal injury lawyer or law firm. Our firm’s attorneys, individually or collectively, and have been […]

If you have been seriously injured in some type of Connecticut accident case that it is important that you research and higher a highly regarded Connecticut personal injury lawyer or law firm. Our firm’s attorneys, individually or collectively, and have been practicing for multiple decades, have been nationally recognized for the work that we perform, are independently rated as being among the best at what they do, have written many books on Connecticut personal injury law, have produced over 100 videos, have written numerous articles, have instructed other injury lawyer across the country in how to get more money for their clients’ cases and are genuinely concerned about the well-being of our clients.

One of the first questions that you might have is how do you know if you need the services of a CT accident lawyer or injury attorney. You will probably need our services if you have been seriously injured or wronged in some way, as a result of an accident, medical malpractice, a defective product, a slip and fall or trip and fall, a dog bite, a sports injury, a car, truck, motorcycle, hit and run, drunk driver, pedestrian, crosswalk, uninsured or underinsured motorist case, bicycle, or some other type of accident. We provide free consultations to explore the facts of your case and advise you as to your legal rights.

Another question that might come to mind is why should I hire an attorney to assist me in resolving my accident case or injury claim. The answer is quite simple; more money for you is the primary reason! An insurance industry research institution studied personal injury claims handled by the injured person alone versus those that were handled by attorneys. The study revealed that those represented by attorneys had a higher net recovery for the client (in other words more money in the injured party’s pocket after paying their lawyers fees and costs) than those parties who proceeded without the representation of an attorney.

Our experienced CT personal injury lawyers and accident attorneys provide you with the advantage of representation by skilled professionals whose experience and insight enable you to equal the playing field when dealing with insurance companies and major corporations to help maximize the amount of money that you can recover for your CT accident and injury case. Having our firm involved in your case, and representing your interests, allows you to focus on recovering from your injuries while we handle holding the accountable party responsible for your injuries and damages.

Many people will want to understand what it would cost to hire our firm of Connecticut accident lawyers and injury attorneys to represent them in their personal injury case. We represent personal injury clients on a contingency fee basis. In other words you pay attorney’s fees only if we recover money damages for you and you pay no fees if we recover no money for you. We also advance the cost to develop your case and those costs are only repaid to us if we recover money damages for you. Therefore, you will only owe us money for legal fees and our costs if we recover money damages for you. If there is no recovery, then you will owe no legal fees and no costs. We also provide a 30 day, guarantee that is set forth on our website which can be found at www.HCWLAW.com so you can be comfortable with the choice that you have made in hiring our CT accident lawyers and injury attorneys.

Our Connecticut injury lawyers and accident attorneys at Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP , offer free consultations. You can call our toll-free number at 888-842-8466 and speak with one of our CT accident lawyers and get your questions answered over the telephone. You can also schedule a free consultation where one of our CT injury attorneys will be happy to meet with you either in our office or at some other convenient location which you designate if you have difficulty in traveling. You can also visit our website and provide us with some brief information about your case and we will then contact you to advise you as to what you should be doing and what you should not be doing. You can also visit our website and download a free copy of our Connecticut accident and injury law book. You can also view any one of our over 100 articles or videos that answer a number of the most frequently asked questions about your Connecticut accident case.

Not every Connecticut accident case requires that you hire a lawyer but every accident case in CT should require you to consult with an experienced CT personal injury lawyer so that you can determine what you should be doing and what you should not be doing so that you can help to maximize the amount of money that you are able to get for your Connecticut personal injury case. We are happy to provide you with this free information so contact us today.

]]>http://www.hcwlaw.com/hire-connecticut-injury-lawyers-hastings-cohan-walsh-llp/feed/0Can I Fire my Connecticut Accident Lawyer and Higher Another Attorney?http://www.hcwlaw.com/can-fire-connecticut-accident-lawyer-higher-another-attorney/
http://www.hcwlaw.com/can-fire-connecticut-accident-lawyer-higher-another-attorney/#respondWed, 30 Apr 2014 19:02:16 +0000http://www.hcwlaw.com/?p=11245Can I Fire my Connecticut Accident Lawyer and Higher Another Attorney? Our Connecticut personal injury lawyers and accident attorneys have been contacted by people who have been injured in some type of an accident, or as a result of medical malpractice, because they are not happy with their current lawyer and want to know if […]

Can I Fire my Connecticut Accident Lawyer and Higher Another Attorney?

Our Connecticut personal injury lawyers and accident attorneys have been contacted by people who have been injured in some type of an accident, or as a result of medical malpractice, because they are not happy with their current lawyer and want to know if they can fire that individual and hire another attorney. One of the biggest complaints that we hear about a client’s unhappiness with their current lawyer is the fact that they are not able to get in touch with that individual, their calls go unanswered, and they have important questions that they need to get answers to but are unable to do so. Still other people feel that their attorney is not properly representing them, has not sufficiently answered all of their questions or appears to be too busy to properly handle their file. Some of these people just hired their accident attorney while others have had this injury lawyer representing them for many, many months.

The short answer to the question of whether or not you can fire your current Connecticut accident lawyer or injury attorney is quite simple; yes! You have the ability to fire your current Connecticut accident attorney and injury lawyer any time you are unhappy with the services or advice that you are receiving. If you are unhappy with your CT accident attorney and are unable to resolve the differences that you experience with that person or if you have just reached the point where you no longer want to work with this injury lawyer then you can contact another Connecticut personal injury lawyer and accident attorney to see if that attorney or law firm would be interested in representing you.

If we are interested in representing you in your Connecticut accident or injury case, even though you are currently using another lawyer, we will notify your prior lawyer of the fact that you no longer wish to have that individual represent you. We will advise that lawyer that their services are being terminated. We will request a copy of your file from that Connecticut accident injury attorney and accident lawyer and you will not have to pay any more money to our firm then you would have to pay to the original lawyer. In other words, you would only pay a legal fee once we were able to receive money damages for you. The fee you would pay to our firm would be the same fee that you would pay to the original law firm because our law firm would have to work out the fee split with the prior accident and injury lawyer.

Our firm’s CT personal injury attorneys and accident lawyers have decades of experience in representing injured parties and their families. We are very accessible. We return telephone calls on a timely basis. We even provide new clients with our 30 day, no cost, no fee, guarantee the terms of which are set forth on our website which can be found at www.HCWLAW.com. Hiring a CT personal injury lawyer is an important decision and we want to make sure that you have made the right decision in hiring our law firm. Please visit our website and download any one of our number of books which we have written on Connecticut accident and injury law. Call our toll-free number at 888-842-8466 and speak with one of our experienced Connecticut accident lawyers and injury attorneys to get your questions answered over the phone or schedule a free, no obligation, consultation with one of our experienced Connecticut personal injury lawyers and accident attorneys to get your questions answered in detail.

Please contact us at your earliest convenience to see how we might be able to assist you. If you are unhappy with your current Connecticut accident lawyer or injury attorney then we might be able to assist you in taking over your file. Contact us today to see how we might be able to help you with your important CT personal injury case.

Attorney Richard P Hastings, a personal injury lawyer with the Connecticut law firm of Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP and Attorney Timothy Hollister, a land-use lawyer with Shipman and Goodwin in Hartford were interviewed by Kim Lucey of Channel 3 WFSB on teen driver safety.

Both Attorney Hastings and Attorney Hollister are on the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles Teen Safe Driving Committee which is developing proposed national models for safer teen driving. Tim Hollister spoke about his son Reid, who died in a motor vehicle accident, which experience spawned his book “Not So Fast”. He also stressed the fact that this was the single greatest cause of death for individuals from 16 to 21.

Richard Hastings spoke about the parent driver agreement which was drafted by the committee and can be downloaded by visiting www.CT.gov/teendriveragreement. He also discussed the importance of parents being good role models for their teen drivers because teens are more likely to be involved in an accident if their parents engage in bad driving behavior and the fact that parents need to be constantly involved in monitor their teen’s driving behavior.

]]>http://www.hcwlaw.com/attorneys-richard-p-hastings-and-timothy-hollister-are-interviewed-by-wfsb-on-teen-driver-safety/feed/0How Parents Can Prevent Connecticut Teen Driving Accidents!http://www.hcwlaw.com/how-parents-can-prevent-connecticut-teen-driving-accidents/
http://www.hcwlaw.com/how-parents-can-prevent-connecticut-teen-driving-accidents/#respondMon, 31 Mar 2014 14:17:05 +0000http://www.hcwlaw.com/?p=11220How Parents Can Prevent Connecticut Teen Driving Accidents! Driving accidents are the number one killer of teenagers. What if parents could be provided with a tool that could help to cut down on the number of accidents that occur – would it be used? Parent teen driving agreements are a proven way to review what […]

Driving accidents are the number one killer of teenagers. What if parents could be provided with a tool that could help to cut down on the number of accidents that occur – would it be used? Parent teen driving agreements are a proven way to review what is expected of your teen driver in the operation of your motor vehicle which will help to reduce the risk of your teen driver being involved in a car crash. A properly drafted agreement will spell out the safety risks, what is expected of your team in driving your motor vehicle, and what will happen if the team violates his or her obligation. So where can you get such an agreement?

Our Connecticut personal injury lawyers and CT accident attorneys have drafted a parent teen driver agreement which can be downloaded for free by visiting our website at www.HCWLAW.com. This teen driving agreement will allow you to sit down and have a thorough discussion with your new teen driver about the rules of the road, what you expect of them in operating your motor vehicle, and most importantly what will happen if they violate any of these rules of the road. It is important that your teen understand how important a responsibility it is in operating a motor vehicle and how your car could turn into a dangerous projectile that could end the life of anyone in an instant.

Medical research has shown us that teen driving is especially dangerous because the human brain does not fully develop until the age of approximately 25 years. This fact will reduce a teens ability to accurately assess risk and danger or control impulsive behavior. Additionally, teen driver training will not overcome this condition. Parents should also note that just because their teen has passed a driver training course and has obtained a motor vehicle drivers license this does not mean that the teen is a safe driver. It is merely a starting point for you to be actively involved in this important learning process.

Parents must impress upon their teen the fact that failure to follow driving laws which would include speeding, reckless driving, alcohol or drug use while operating a vehicle, not using seat belts, becoming distracted while driving, illegally transporting passengers, or violating any other laws could cause injury, death, damage to property and can result in criminal and civil penalties. As part of the teen driving agreements the parent must understand that they will take an active role in this process and will promise to be a good role model to their driving teen. It is important that the parent obey all traffic laws, wear their seatbelt, never drink and drive, and not engage in distracted driving.

By utilizing this very simple educational tool, parents can help to reduce the risk of their child being involved in a serious accident which could either cause injury or death to their child or to another. This is too important an issue to leave unresolved and not discussed. By reviewing this agreement with your new teen driver, all of the important terms and conditions of this very serious undertaking should be understood by the new teen driver. Additionally, your new teen driver will understand all of the penalties for violating any of the rules or regulations of the road which you as a parent must strictly enforce.

To the extent that your teen driver has been injured to the fault of another, or if anyone in your family or any of your friends, have been injured in a a motor vehicle accident, it is very important that you get the advice of a highly experienced Connecticut personal injury lawyer or CT accident attorney at the earliest possible moment. You can also download free books, watch videos, or read a number of articles by visiting our website at www.HCWLAW.com. You can also call our toll-free number at 888-842-8466 and speak directly with one of our experienced Connecticut personal injury attorneys and accident lawyers to get your questions answered right away or to schedule a free in office consultation.

]]>http://www.hcwlaw.com/how-parents-can-prevent-connecticut-teen-driving-accidents/feed/0Attorney Hastings is Called to Testify as an Expert in Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Lawhttp://www.hcwlaw.com/attorney-hastings-is-called-to-testify-as-an-expert-in-uninsured-and-underinsured-motorist-law/
http://www.hcwlaw.com/attorney-hastings-is-called-to-testify-as-an-expert-in-uninsured-and-underinsured-motorist-law/#respondFri, 07 Mar 2014 19:12:33 +0000http://www.hcwlaw.com/?p=11199Attorney Hastings is Called to Testify as an Expert in Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Law Richard P. Hastings, a CT personal injury lawyer with the offices of Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP, was recently asked to testify at the Connecticut General Assembly, Committee on Insurance and Real Estate, as an expert in uninsured and underinsured motorist law. He […]

Attorney Hastings is Called to Testify as an Expert in Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Law

Richard P. Hastings, a CT personal injury lawyer with the offices of Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP, was recently asked to testify at the Connecticut General Assembly, Committee on Insurance and Real Estate, as an expert in uninsured and underinsured motorist law.

He was asked to testify as to raised Bill # 5364, An Act Requiring Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage to be Optional and Concerning Underinsured Motorist Conversion Coverage. The stated purpose of the bill was to make uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage optional rather than compulsory and to require insurers that write automobile liability insurance in the state to provide UIM conversion coverage to uninsured’s at no cost if such insurer failed to offer, or disclose the availability of, such coverage or fails to procure a signed informed consent form from insured who declines such coverage.

Attorney Hastings testified in opposition to the provision that would make uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage optional rather than mandatory. Attorney Hastings indicated that this act could potentially benefit insurance companies while creating dire economic consequences for people who were injured in accidents by people who either have no insurance or insignificant limits of liability to properly compensate the injured party
for their damages. Attorney Hastings went on to report that according to a recent Insurance Research Council study, almost 10% of people that operate motor vehicles in Connecticut do not have any insurance at all.

Attorney Hastings then testified in support of the provision that would require insurance companies to provide UIM conversion coverage to an insured, at no cost, if the insurance company did not comply with the requirements of our underinsured motorist conversion coverage statute which is located at 38a-336a. Currently this statute requires insurance companies to provide a description of coverage, the premium cost and the availability of such coverage which is to be provided to the insured in a conspicuous manner on the informed consent form specified in Connecticut General Statutes section 38a-336. Further, the insured would have to sign the aforesaid form to the extent that conversion coverage was not elected. The current statute does not provide for a penalty for the insurance company’s failure to comply.

Attorney Hastings further testified that it was important that the committee understand the importance of protecting its citizens from negligent drivers who either do not have any insurance or do not have enough insurance to properly compensate the injured party for their damages. It was also important that the General Assembly enact legislation which provides a penalty for a requirement of the statute were currently one does not exist.

Attorney Hastings has written 14 books, including a book on Connecticut insurance law, his firm has produced over 150 educational videos on a variety of accident and injury topics, he was a syndicated legal columnist, he is a contributor to the Connecticut Law Tribune, he is a New England Super Lawyer, he is AV rated by Martindale, its highest rating, and is listed in its Bar Registry of Preeminent Lawyers, and he has been named one of the top 100 trial lawyers in Connecticut by the National Trial Lawyers.

Attorney Richard Hastings of the law firm of Hastings, Cohan & Walsh, LLP recently testified before the Connecticut General Assembly’s insurance and real estate committee regarding raised Bill number 5364. The bill, entitled “an act requiring uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage to be optional and concerning UIM conversion coverage.” Mr. Hastings was asked to testify before this committee as a result of his experience in the areas of uninsured and underinsured motorist law in Connecticut.

The purpose of the proposed bill was to make uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage optional rather than mandatory and to require that insurance companies that write motor vehicle liability insurance policies in Connecticut provide underinsured motorist conversion coverage to uninsured at no cost if the insurance company fails to offer, or disclosed of the availability of, such coverage or fails to procure a signed informed consent form from an insured who declines such coverage. The testimony was given at the legislative office building in Hartford.

Attorney Hastings indicated that CT currently requires that any motor vehicle liability insurance policy must include uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage. The purpose behind this mandatory coverage is to protect those who purchased insurance coverage in the event they are injured by negligent driver who either has no insurance coverage whatsoever or does not have sufficient limits of liability to properly compensate the injured party. Attorney Hastings advised the committee that a recent insurance Institute study indicated that 9.5% of all drivers on Connecticut roadways do not have any insurance coverage at all and to make uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage optional rather than mandatory would be incredibly bad idea as it could have a very negative effect upon an injured party’s ability to obtain timely medical care and treatment and provide for the repayment of any liens that result from this care and treatment.

Attorney Hastings also testified in favor of the amendment which would require that insurance companies provide underinsured motorist conversion coverage to an insured pursuant to Connecticut Gen. statute 38a – 336a which requires an insurance company to obtain a written consent form signed by the insured if that party does not wish to have underinsured motorist conversion coverage. Currently there is no penalty in the statute for an insurance company’s noncompliance with this requirement.

Mr. Hastings has recently completed a book on Connecticut insurance law. Additionally, Attorney Hastings has written 14 other books, he was a syndicated legal columnist, has helped to produce over 150 educational
videos on accident and injury law in Connecticut and is a contributor to the Connecticut Law Tribune. He is a New England Super Lawyer, is AV rated by Martindale, and has been named one of the top 100 trial lawyers in
Connecticut by the National Trial Lawyers. He can be reached at 888-842-8466 or by visiting the firm’s website at www.HCWLAW.com

]]>http://www.hcwlaw.com/attorney-hastings-testifies-before-connecticut-general-assembly-insurance-and-real-estate-committee/feed/0Avoiding Winter Driving Accidents in Connecticut on Snow and Icehttp://www.hcwlaw.com/avoiding-winter-driving-accidents-in-connecticut-on-snow-and-ice/
http://www.hcwlaw.com/avoiding-winter-driving-accidents-in-connecticut-on-snow-and-ice/#respondWed, 19 Feb 2014 14:54:18 +0000http://www.hcwlaw.com/?p=11189 Avoiding Winter Driving Accidents in Connecticut on Snow and Ice A recent statistic indicated that in early February of this year we have already had 150% of the snowfall in an average winter season in Connecticut. It seems like we are getting a winter storm every week to 10 days with no relief in […]

A recent statistic indicated that in early February of this year we have already had 150% of the snowfall in an average winter season in Connecticut. It seems like we are getting a winter storm every week to 10 days with no relief in sight. It is difficult enough driving when snow is falling but with the accumulations that we have received new fallen snow lands on snow and ice which is already present making things especially slippery. It is therefore helpful to review some winter driving tips and techniques so as to avoid serious injury and accidents while driving on our Connecticut roadways.

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that the conditions on the roadways can change in an instant. You could encounter black ice, which by its very nature is almost invisible until you are right upon it, or you could drive over a portion of the roadway where there is accumulations of snow and ice making driving that much more treacherous. So one of the first important tips is to be on guard while driving and to reduce the number of distractions, including the radio, when driving in these dangerous situations. Because the roadways can become very slippery without you even knowing it, it is very important that you leave a significant amount of space between your vehicle and the vehicle driving in front of you. This will certainly cut down the chances of you being involved in an accident as you will have additional time to stop.

In addition to allowing more space between you and the car in front of you, it is also important that you slow down the rate of speed at which you were traveling and try and operate your vehicle at a constant and safe speed. If you drive at a constant, slower speed, then you will reduce the risk of your tires spinning out of control and making your driving experience that much more dangerous. If the driving is slippery you should use lower gears when operating your motor vehicle especially on hills. It is also important that you not use cruise control because it can create additional problems for you while operating your motor vehicle in slippery or dangerous driving situations.

If you have an older motor vehicle that does not have anti-lock brakes than is important that you not slam on the brakes because you will not be able to steer your motor vehicle. You need to pump your brakes so as to allow the steering wheel to be able to turn during conditions where the roads are especially slippery. You should also drive with your low beams on and not use your high beams as they will reflect off the snow and ice and make your driving visibility less clear. It is also a good idea to listen to the conditions around you so that you can hear approaching traffic, you can tell if you are traveling on snow and ice, and to hear any warnings that might be present.

This is the time of the year that we are contacted by a number of individuals who have been involved in a motor vehicle accident because of slippery road conditions. Some of these people have been hit from behind, while others have been hit from the side because of the other party making a left-hand turn when there is not enough time or room to do so and yet other people have had the other driver cross over the double yellow line and hit them head on in their lane of traffic. In addition to utilizing good driving tips and techniques is also important that you be a defensive driver to watch out from the other people that are on the roadways.

If you have been injured in a winter driving accident that has been caused by the fault of another, please visit our website at www.HCWLAW.com and download a free copy of our CT accident and injury book. You can also call our toll-free number at 888-842-8466 and speak with one of our experienced Connecticut personal injury lawyers and accident attorneys. Above all, be safe!